Taxpayers saved more than $26 million in fiscal year 2008 through initiatives to reduce energy use and energy costs in federal facilities, according to the Department of Energy (DOE).

Selecting from among 14 federal agencies, the DOE honored 32 individuals, teams, and organizations with Federal Energy and Water Management Awards for outstanding and innovative efforts by federal agencies to implement energy efficiency improvement strategies.

The winner’s accomplishments included saving 558 billion Btu through upgrades to building heat, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment, and the installation of high efficiency lighting and energy management control systems; saving 212 billion Btu through the installation of renewable energy systems and purchasing green power; and saving 585 million gallons of water through strategies such as upgrades to water-saving equipment and irrigation systems and locating and repairing water leaks.

According to DOE, data for fiscal year 2008 shows that the federal government has decreased energy consumption per gross square foot by approximately 12 percent, compared with fiscal year 2003 data. The federal government also reported purchasing or producing 1,904 Gigawatt-hours of renewable electric energy, equivalent to 3.4 percent of their electricity use.

In October, President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order focused on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance, which requires federal agencies to set a 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target within 90 days.
Agencies can achieve these targets with a range of initiatives, including reducing the energy intensity in their buildings, deploying additional renewable energy resources, reducing the use of fossil fuels, and promoting environmentally-responsible products and technologies.